East End

01/15/13 9:45am

HCC Southeast Preparing Campus for Parking Garage

by Allyn West

Land Development, New Construction, Redevelopment, Renovations, Schools

No Comments

Note: Story updated below.

This mud pit on Rustic St. is not long for the world; eventually there will be a 3-level parking garage here at very congested HCC Southeast. The East End campus is pressed up against the back of a strip center that faces the I-45 feeder road between Woodridge and Wayside. To make room for the garage, appearing to allow students and faculty to enter from both Rustic and Garland, the 100-seat Carlos Garcia Theater and some inadequate surface parking had to go. This is an otherwise expanding campus: last summer saw the opening of a brand-new Workforce Building (shown here), a 3-story, 60,000-sq.-ft. ~~Brave Praxis~~ Brave Architecture job where many of the campus’s vocational programs — including HVAC, cosmetology, massage therapy, and accounting — are now based.

President’s Mission [Houston Community College]
Project Update: HCC Southeast College Workforce Building [Brave Praxis]

Photos: Brave Praxis (academic building);Â Allyn West (site)

77087, College Campuses, Land Development, New Construction

01/09/13 11:30am

Heights Bike Lab Expands, Opens Shop Near UH in East End

by Allyn West

Transportation

7 Comments

Long a fixture on White Oak in the Heights, the Blue Line Bike Lab hasÂ opened a second location in the East End. In early November, the repair shop and retailer moved into a suite that had been gutted for a CrossFit gym at 740 Telephone Rd. in the Tlaquepaque Market, a little more than a mile fromÂ U of H.Â The shopping center, bound on the east by Lockwood and on the west by Dumble, might not be the most obvious location for pedal-pushing hipsters looking for a fixie: next door, as the photo above shows, is Space City Hearing Aids. But Bohemeo’s is just a few doors down and Thai restaurant Kanomwan is tucked in there somewhere, as well. And the East End has had two railroad right-of-ways transformed intoÂ hike and bike trails. ~~Paul~~ Dale, one of the lab’s resident gearheads, says, “We’re betting on the neighborhood.”

How to find us [Blue Line Bike Lab]
Hike and Bike Trails [City of Houston]

Photos: Allyn West

77023, Bicycles, East End, Rails to Trails, Retail, Shopping Centers, Transportation

East Downtown

01/08/13 11:45am

Small, Modern, and New in East Downtown

by CALwords

East End, Home Design, Homes for Sale, Redevelopment

34 Comments

The smaller of a wee pair of snaggle-topped properties built since April 2012 on a Scott St. corner of the new ~~East End~~ Southeast rail line popped on the market last week. Initial asking price: $175,000. No listing yet for its equally efficient slightly bigger sister right next door, which employs the same corner windows, criss-cross rooftop, and slew of eco-friendly components.

77003, Carports, East Downtown, East End, Home Design, Homes for Sale, Houston Architects, Interiors

11/30/12 3:43pm

Houston Home Listing Photo of the Day: Mulling the Offer

Homes for Sale, Interiors, Mason Park Terrace, Real Estate Marketing

7 Comments

7502 Satsuma St. [HAR]

77023, East End, Homes for Sale, Interiors, Mason Park Terrace, Real Estate Marketing

10/03/12 3:28pm

Where’s That “YEEEE-HAWWW” Now? Thunderbolt Puts on its Harrisburg Rail Face

Parking, Public Transportation, Retail, Streetscapes

3 Comments

It was inevitable that construction of the new East End Line would change the face of Thunderbolt Motors & Transmissions. No more head-in parking out front means customers may have a hard time replicating the closing image of the business’s (locally) famous teevee commercial, 2 versions of which feature a blonde urban-cowgirl type in a Caddy convertible waving her hat in the air as she pulls her (presumably backed-in) convertible onto Harrisburg from one of those spaces.

The 1977 original is shown above. In the commercial’s more recent remake, the head-in parking at 6847 Harrisburg is easier to make out:

77011, East End, East End Line, Light-Rail, Parking, Retail, Streetscapes, TV-Commercials

Comments

10/02/12 3:41pm

Comment of the Day: Obstacle Course Sidewalks Were Part of the East End Plan

East End, Quicklink, Streetscapes, Utilities

6 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: OBSTACLE COURSE SIDEWALKS WERE PART OF THE EAST END PLAN “. . . The City government had the power, through its consent agreement, to require wider sidewalks. Put another foot or two on a sidewalk and suddenly an intrusive fixture, like a power pole, become less of an obstacle. However, elected officials at that time were freaked out about right-of-way takes. Also, the mayoral administration at that time decided that the City should not burden METRO with more costs, a position with which of course METRO heartily agreed. There was no other funding mechanism (like the recently created East End TIRZ) to fill the cost gap. There were those of us who tried very hard to express our concern, but it was decided otherwise. So when you are dismayed at the photos above, rest assured that when the City officials made their choice, they knew full well that we would end up with those results.” [Local Planner, commenting on Power to the Pedestrians: Sidewalk Utility Poles of the East End Line]

Comments, East End, Metro, Streetscapes, Utilities

10/01/12 9:34am

Power to the Pedestrians: Sidewalk Utility Poles of the East End Line

Public Transportation, Utilities

64 Comments

Courtesy of a reader wielding a camera along Harrisburg Blvd., here’s a tour of a few standout elements you can expect to encounter in a stroll along the path of Houston’s new East End light-rail line, now that sidewalk coordination work between CenterPoint Energy, Metro, and the Greater East End Management District has been completed.

“Most of the poles,” the reader reports, “are now in the center of the sidewalk leaving 24 inches to squeeze by on either side.” Or maybe a bit more:

77003, 77011, 77012, Construction Problems, East End, East End Line, Eastwood, Metro Rail, New Construction, Streetscapes, Utilities

Buildings for Sale

08/30/12 2:41pm

A Western Front in the East End

by CALwords

East End, Mixed Use

4 Comments

Some saddle-up bric-a-brac remains on the exterior of the former Harwin Western Wear store on Navigation, a few blocks south of the original Ninfa’s. The 1935 retail-residential property contains a few apartments plus more living quarters in the converted attic. Located on the corner of N. Palmer St., the partially painted brick-and-board (and barbed wire) structure with awnings is across from a parking lot, a light-industrial building, and a vacant lot. A Metro bus stop sign sits right out front. The new listing, $200,000, offers no interior photos — but plenty of peeks at the exterior and environs:

77003, Buildings for Sale, East End, Mixed Use

Buying and Selling

08/17/12 1:04pm

East of Downtown, and No One’s Biting

East Downtown, East End, Homes for Sale, Quicklink, Real Estate Marketing, Townhomes

55 Comments

EAST OF DOWNTOWN, AND NO ONE’S BITING “I need help,” writes the would-be seller of this townhome just north of the railroad tracks from East Downtown, a day after cutting the asking price down to $254,900. (It originally sold for $236K back in 2008.) “I read Swamplot daily and love seeing what your astute commenters have to say. I’ve lived in the Houston area my entire life but am new to selling a house around here. I’ve had my townhouse on the market for a few weeks now but haven’t had much traffic. I’m wondering if this is normal around here or maybe there’s just not enough buzz for my house. Is the pricing all wrong?Â Are the pictures awful? Is my agent doing enough (umm… Hi, mom!)? Is my â€™hood too early in the gentrification stage? It really is a great house and a pretty cool neighborhood if I do say so myself!Â I’d love some advice from folks in the know.” [Swamplot inbox]

77003, Buying and Selling, East Downtown, East End, Homes for Sale, Real Estate Marketing, Townhomes

Country Club Place

06/25/12 1:23pm

East End Alcohol Report

East End, Idylwood, Nightlife, Quicklink

8 Comments

EAST END ALCOHOL REPORT A reader from the Country Club Place-Idylwood area checks in with rumors, some news, and questions: “A neighbor who does not do computers had a co-worker tell him that there is to be a ‘Latino topless bar’ open soon near Idylwood. For the life of me, I cannot see where he’s talking about. Of course, the definition of ‘near Idylwood’ is the variable. How can I find out where it will be and if this is true? Are alcohol permits available online? The old Helena Motel property on Wayside at 45 is being developed slowly and right now, a Chick fil A is being built next to the relatively new Taco Cabana. I can’t really see an adult entertainment place going in near that location although that block with the corner is prime for a strip shopping center. Demolition of the old Oshman’s property for Walmart is progressing quickly. Last I heard there was still some question as to whether or not this Walmart would sell beer & wine. The back side of the property is too close to the AAMA School on Maxwell. I imagine a lot of people will be unhappy if they can’t do one stop shopping there. Can you offer some suggestions as to where to begin my sleuthing on the topless bar?” [Swamplot inbox]

77023, Bars and Clubs, Country Club Place, East End, Idylwood, Idylwood Walmart, New Construction, Nightlife, Proposed Developments, Restaurants

Art

05/16/12 11:55pm

Comment of the Day: Working in the East End, Attending Midtown

Comments, East End, Midtown, Quicklink

No Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: WORKING IN THE EAST END, ATTENDING MIDTOWN “. . . In the East End, there is Talento Bilingue, Frenetic Theater, Box 13, El Rincon Social, Super Happy Fun Land, Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex, Kalinen Contemporary, and probably some things that Iâ€™m missing. Thatâ€™s a pretty good set of arts spaces, but itâ€™s very spread out (from near 59 all the way out to Broadway). What is definitely going on in the East End is that a lot of artists have living and/or work spaces there (even though they have exhibits, both El Rincon Social and Box 13 are primarily studio spaces). But thatâ€™s not the same as being a destination for people to see art/performances. Whereas the Midtown/Museum District arts area is much more compact –â€“ only 1.5 miles from the Midtown Arts Center to the MFAH — and in between you have the Continental Club, Inman Gallery, Bryan Miller Gallery, Art Palace, Devin Borden Gallery, Warâ€™House, the Houston Center For Contemporary Craft, Lawndale, the Ensemble Theatre, the MFAH — and thatâ€™s just on Main St. . . . If I was a scrappy young arts group looking for a physical home, Iâ€™d look out in the East End before Midtown. You just arenâ€™t going to get things like Super Happy Fun Land, Frenetic Theater or Box 13 in Midtown.” [Robert Boyd, commenting on Midtown Arts Center Interim Design Review: How Do You Like It Now?]

Art, Attractions, Comments, East End, Midtown

07/26/11 4:05pm

East End Line Will Get Its Harrisburg Underpass

Proposed Developments, Transportation

32 Comments

Harrisburg Blvd. and the East End light-rail line Metro is building along it will dip under the Union Pacific East Belt freight rail line between the future Altic and Cesar Chavez stations, Mayor Parker announced today. The city has committed $20.6 million of “existing money” to the build the underpass — in part by delaying other area improvement projects. The alternative, a longer freeway-style overpass, was opposed by many area residents and businesses.

Drawing: City of Houston

77011, East End, East End Line, Light-Rail, Proposed Developments

Comments

04/05/11 3:48pm

Comment of the Day: How Houston’s East Enders Have Rid Themselves of Clutter

East End, Home Design, Quicklink

16 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: HOW HOUSTON’S EAST ENDERS HAVE RID THEMSELVES OF CLUTTER “Small closets are a great tool for stuff reduction. Houston, and especially the East End, is still full of similar vintage 1000-1500 sq. ft houses designed for simple living.” [DanaX, commenting on Houston Home Listing Photo of the Day: Fountain]

Comments, East End, Home Design, Storage

11/17/10 9:36pm

Inside the East Side Warehouse That’s Cranking Out All Those Food Trucks

Restaurants, Settegast Park

2 Comments

The Rodriguez Brothers have produced more than 200 food trucks out of their warehouse on the corner of Garrow and Roberts just east of Settegast Park, reports food critic and soon-to-be-restaurateur Robb Walsh. Inside on a recent visit, Walsh finds 14 vehicles in various stages of customization — including catering trucks, taco trucks with “California-style” cantilevered skylights, and vehicles outfitted with elote cookers, shaved-ice machines, or other specialty equipment. “The kitchen is designed for the kind of food being served,” co-owner Daniel Rodriguez tells him.